HomeWord - Mar. 17, 2011

That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. —2 Corinthians 12:10

Martin Luther once said, “God created the world out of nothing, and so long as we are nothing, He can make something out of us.” And yet, it is so very hard to be nothing. We like to think we’re somebody and when people tell us we’re wonderful, we want to believe every word. It is human nature to look at our successes and achievements.

I’m not saying we should dwell on our failures or live with constant self-criticism. I’m convinced that God doesn’t want that from us. But neither does He want us proud.

The very best way to be a servant of the Lord is to become a lump of clay in His hands. His design for our lives is perfect – Only He can take an ordinary lump of life and make it beautiful. I’m reminded of that wonderful chorus we used to sing. “Something beautiful, something good. All my confusion, He understood. All I had to offer Him was brokenness and strife, but He made something beautiful out of my life.”

God knows just what each of us needs to shape us perfectly. To become a lump of clay in God’s hands means total surrender on our part. The words He longs to hear from us are: “Here I am Lord, break me, mold me, and make me into whatever you want.”

We need to ask God to remind us that we are lumps of clay. Then we need to place our lives with their flaws and needs in His strong, creative hands. He will make us useful and we will bless others with a touch of His love.